Cr3dentials started as a project at the ETH Denver hackathon in 2023. Since then, we’ve gone through many iterations, worked with different teams, and taken part in program like EAS fellowship, Funding the Commons residency, and most recently Magma builder residency. Each step taught us something new, pushed us to grow, and brought us closer to where we are today. For all of it, we’re incredibly grateful.

From the very beginning, we’ve been fascinated by the intersection of reputation and blockchain technology. Over time, we kept coming back to a few key questions: How can we bring more forms of reputation on-chain to unlock opportunities for people? How can we move beyond traditional metrics like credit scores or school fee payments to create something truly transformative? These questions became the driving force behind everything we built.

Magma, a builder residency for African founders started by Yoseph and Songyi, became a pivotal part of that exploration. It brought together builders from across the African continent, fostering a vibrant space for collaboration and innovation. During the residency, I gave a presentation on zkemail and applied cryptography, which sparked many ideas among the residents. That presentation also marked the beginning of our conversation with Yele about Cr3dentials, opening new doors for the project.

Yele helped us brainstorm how to take our idea of using applied cryptography to create verifiable credentials from 0 to 1. He introduced us to the Microtraction team, and together, we aligned on the vision. Their decision to fund us has been a game-changer. This isn’t just an investment—it’s a vote of confidence in what we’re building and the impact we hope to make.

To Ato, Offiong, Yele, and the entire Microtraction team: thank you for seeing the potential in Cr3dentials and giving us the opportunity to turn our vision into reality. This idea is ambitious and future-forward, and countless investors turned us down along the way. We’ve presented to hundreds of people, faced skepticism, and kept pushing forward. Your belief in us means everything.

We’re just getting started, and we’re excited to have you on this journey with us. Watch what we accomplish.